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Vandalism in Joshua Tree National Park

About a week ago, while walking to the market, I noticed some fresh red spraypaint on Sullivan road where it intersects Indian Cove road. Something with a C, looked like “criminals” maybe? I didn’t pay too much attention, assuming it was just some troublemaking kid acting out on his own. Saturday evening, I saw a news article in the LA Times about more widespread vandalism in the monument (Properly, a National Park for some time now). Looks like there has been spraypaint vandalism in the rattlesnake canyon area, and even worse, vandalism by carving on Barker Dam.

This is practically my backyard. I ride there on my mountain bike to hike and scramble on the boulders. Barker Dam is a nice lazy afternoon out and back hike if you drive to the trailhead. I’m not sure what drives anyone to do things like this, but if I ran into them, they’d wish they had only met the Borrego Sasquatch or a hungry chupacabra.

The why is a matter of it’s own. Is this because of bad parenting? Decline of societal values? All of the above catalysed by 24/7 global connectivity and advertising for as long as younger folks today have been able to read? I’m not qualified to say, but I’m not holding my breath for any of the stimuli that put people in the mindset to do this to decrease on their own.

Some shots I took around Barker Dam a while ago:

Photos above are mine, following image property of the LA times:

Above Image property of The Press-Enterprise

All I can say is really? I’m not old enough to bitch about “kids these days”.